Introduction: Recent analyses of data show a warming trend in global average air and sea surface ocean temperatures. The atmosphere and ocean have warmed, the amounts of snow and ice have diminished, the sea level has risen, and the concentrations of greenhouse gases have increased. This article will focus on climate change and projected effects on venomous marine and amphibious creatures with the potential impact on human health. Read More

Cnidaria include the most venomous animals of the world. Among Cnidaria, Scyphozoa (true jellyfish) are ubiquitous, abundant, and often come into accidental contact with humans and, therefore, represent a threat for public health and safety. The venom of Scyphozoa is a complex mixture of bioactive substances-including thermolabile enzymes such as phospholipases, metalloproteinases, and, possibly, pore-forming proteins-and is only partially characterized. Read More

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A new species of hydrozoan jellyfish belonging to the order Limnomedusae is reported from the Ryukyu Archipelago, Southern Japan. The species belongs to the genus Scolionema, which prior to this study includes just a single valid species, S. suvaense. Read More

Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedicine and Clinical Research Unit, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.

Sea anemones contain a variety of interesting biologically active compounds, including some potent toxins. PLA from Bunodosoma caissarum, a sea anemone endemic in the Brazilian southern coast, has shown renal alterations on isolated kidney. The aim of this study was to evaluate the renal and vascular effects of B. Read More

More than a century of research on sea anemone venoms has shown that they contain a diversity of biologically active proteins and peptides. However, recent omics studies have revealed that much of the venom proteome remains unexplored. We used, for the first time, a combination of proteomic and transcriptomic techniques to obtain a holistic overview of the venom arsenal of the well-studied sea anemone Stichodactyla haddoni. Read More

Background: In Guadeloupe (French West Indies), many marine envenomation cases by jellyfish are observed. Some of them might induce an Irukandji syndrome (IS). The aim of this study was to analyse the clinical features of IS from the envenomation cases in the two public hospitals in Guadeloupe, and to compare them to non-IS stings. Read More

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Department of Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology and Pharmacology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA.

Lion's mane jellyfish () stings cause severe pain and can lead to dangerous systemic effects, including Irukandji-like syndrome. As is the case for most cnidarian stings, recommended medical protocols in response to such stings lack rigorous scientific support. In this study, we sought to evaluate potential first aid care protocols using previously described envenomation models that allow for direct measurements of venom activity. Read More

Authors:

Department of Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology and Pharmacology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA.

Stings from the hydrozoan species in the genus cause intense, immediate skin pain and elicit serious systemic effects. There has been much scientific debate about the most appropriate first aid for these stings, particularly with regard to whether vinegar use is appropriate (most current recommendations recommend against vinegar). We found that only a small percentage (≤1. Read More

Venomous aquatic animals are hazardous to swimmers, surfers, divers, and fishermen. Exposures include mild stings, bites, abrasions, and lacerations. Severe envenomations can be life threatening. Read More

Authors:

We report the first case of rhabdomyolysis following envenomation by a Physalia sp in New Caledonia. Systemic envenomation by this marine hydrozoan is well known, including myalgia as a commonly reported clinical feature. Nonetheless, a related increase in muscle enzymes, featuring rhabdomyolysis, has not previously been described. Read More

Introduction:: The clinical and epidemiological aspects associated with Portuguese man-of-war envenomation were investigated and characterized.

Methods:: Data from recorded envenomation events between 2005 and 2013 were provided by the GBMar (Group of Firemen Maritime of Maranhão State) and SEMUSC (Municipal Secretary of Security with Citizenship).

Results:: Most victims were children, and clinical manifestations included intense pain, edema, erythema, and rare systemic manifestations. Read More

Authors:

Department of Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology and Pharmacology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.

Cnidarian envenomations are the leading cause of severe and lethal human sting injuries from marine life. The total amount of venom discharged into sting-site tissues, sometimes referred to as "venom load", has been previously shown to correlate with tentacle contact length and sequelae severity. Since <1% of cnidae discharge upon initial tentacle contact, effective and safe removal of adherent tentacles is of paramount importance in the management of life-threatening cubozoan stings. Read More

Cnidarians may negatively impact human activities and public health but concomitantly their venom represents a rich source of bioactive substances. Pelagia noctiluca is the most venomous and abundant jellyfish of the Mediterranean Sea and possesses a venom with hemolytic and cytolytic activity for which the mechanism is largely unknown. Here we show that exposure of mammalian cells to crude venom from the nematocysts of P. Read More

Authors:

Cubozoans (box jellyfish) have a reputation as the most venomous animals on the planet. Herein, we provide a review of cubozoan prey capture and digestion informed by the scientific literature. Like all cnidarians, box jellyfish envenomation originates from structures secreted within nematocyte post-Golgi vesicles called nematocysts. Read More

Global temperatures continue to rise, reaching new records almost every year this decade. Although the causes are debated, climate change is a reality. Consequences of climate change include melting of the arctic ice cap, rising of sea levels, changes in precipitation patterns, and increased severe weather events. Read More

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Department of Emergency Nursing, School of Nursing, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China.

Background: Jellyfish envenomation is common along the coastal area, and can cause severe consequences. Naval personnel are among the high-risk population for this injury. The aim of this study was to assess knowledge regarding jellyfish envenomation among naval personnel in a navy unit in northeast China. Read More

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There is a growing cause for concern on envenoming European species because of jellyfish blooms, climate change and globalization displacing species. Treatment of envenomation involves the prevention of further nematocyst release and relieving local and systemic symptoms. Many anecdotal treatments are available but species-specific first aid response is essential for effective treatment. Read More

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College of Marine and Environmental Sciences and ARC Centre of Excellence in Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia.

Identification of potentially harmful cubomedusae is difficult due to their gelatinous nature. The only hard structure of medusae, the statolith, has the potential to provide robust measurements for morphometric analysis. Traditional morphometric length to width ratios (L: W) and modern morphometric Elliptical Fourier Analysis (EFA) were applied to proximal, oral and lateral statolith faces of 12 cubozoan species. Read More

Jellyfish venoms are of medical and biotechnological importance, with toxins displaying antimicrobial, analgesic and anti-tumor activities. Although proteolytic enzymes have also been described, detailed characterisation of these proteins is scant in Olindias spp. High throughput mass spectrometry profiling of cnidarian venoms has become increasingly popular since the first description of the proteomic profile of putative toxins isolated from nematocysts of the hydrozoan jellyfish Olindias sambaquiensis describing the presence of orthologous enzymes as presented in venoms of advanced species as snakes. Read More

Authors:

Research group of Oceanography and Plankton, National Agronomic Institute of Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia.

Jellyfish are of particular concern for marine finfish aquaculture. In recent years repeated mass mortality episodes of farmed fish were caused by blooms of gelatinous cnidarian stingers, as a consequence of a wide range of hemolytic, cytotoxic, and neurotoxic properties of associated cnidocytes venoms. The mauve stinger jellyfish Pelagia noctiluca (Scyphozoa) has been identified as direct causative agent for several documented fish mortality events both in Northern Europe and the Mediterranean Sea aquaculture farms. Read More

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Background: Despite recent deaths caused by box jellyfish envenomation occurring on the islands of Samui and Pha-ngan in the Gulf of Thailand, many people do not believe box jellyfish can kill humans and many people dismiss the problem as insignificant. More evidence has been requested from the communities in order to evaluate the need for and the implementation of sustainable prevention measures. We aimed to determine the magnitude of cases of severe stinging by box jellyfish and describe the characteristics of these cases on the islands of Samui and Pha-ngan in Surat Thani Province from 1997 to 2015. Read More

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Békésy Laboratory of Neurobiology, Pacific Biosciences Research Center, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu HI 96822, USA.

Despite the medical urgency presented by cubozoan envenomations, ineffective and contradictory first-aid management recommendations persist. A critical barrier to progress has been the lack of readily available and reproducible envenomation assays that (1) recapitulate live-tentacle stings; (2) allow quantitation and imaging of cnidae discharge; (3) allow primary quantitation of venom toxicity; and (4) employ rigorous controls. We report the implementation of an integrated array of three experimental approaches designed to meet the above-stated criteria. Read More

Previously, we established delayed jellyfish envenomation syndrome (DJES) models and proposed that the hemorrhagic toxins in jellyfish tentacle extracts (TE) play a significant role in the liver and kidney injuries of the experimental model. Further, we also demonstrated that metalloproteinases are the central toxic components of the jellyfish Cyanea capillata (C. capillata), which may be responsible for the hemorrhagic effects. Read More

Authors:

In a marine envenomation, identification of the culprit organism can be difficult. In this case report, we present our method to identify snakelocks anemone (Anemonia viridis or formerly Anemonia sulcata) as the culprit of a severe toxic skin reaction. A. Read More

Authors:

Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, the University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, QLD, Australia.

Cnidarians are the oldest extant lineage of venomous animals. Despite their simple anatomy, they are capable of subduing or repelling prey and predator species that are far more complex and recently evolved. Utilizing specialized penetrating nematocysts, cnidarians inject the nematocyst content or "venom" that initiates toxic and immunological reactions in the envenomated organism. Read More

Background: The box jellyfish, Chironex fleckeri, is the largest and most dangerous cubozoan jellyfish to humans. It produces potent and rapid-acting venom and its sting causes severe localized and systemic effects that are potentially life-threatening. In this study, a combined transcriptomic and proteomic approach was used to identify C. Read More

Authors:

Department of Family Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.

Jellyfish have a worldwide distribution. Their stings can cause different reactions, ranging from cutaneous, localized, and self-limited to serious systemic or fatal ones, depending on the envenoming species. Several first aid treatments are used to manage such stings but few have evidence behind their use. Read More

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Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genova, I-16132 Genova, Italy.

Cnidarian jellyfish are viewed as an emergent problem in several coastal zones throughout the world. Recurrent outbreaks pose a serious threat to tourists and bathers, as well as to sea-workers, involving health and economical aspects. As a rule, cnidarian stinging as a consequence of nematocyst firing induces merely local symptoms but cardiovascular or neurological complications can also occur. Read More

We report a case of digital ischaemia in a 31-year-old man who presented with sudden hand numbness, swelling, and cyanosis 4 days after a jellyfish sting. This is a rare complication of jellyfish sting, characterised by a delayed but rapid downhill course. Despite serial monitoring with prompt fasciotomy and repeated debridement, he developed progressive ischaemia in multiple digits with gangrenous change. Read More

Authors:

Jellyfish blooms occur throughout the world. Human contact with a jellyfish induces a local reaction of the skin, which can be painful and leave scaring. Systemic symptoms are also observed and contact with some species is lethal. Read More

Authors:

Emergency Department Cairns Base Hospital and Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine; School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Centre for Biodiscovery and Molecular Development of Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Molecular Sciences, James Cook University, Queensland, Australia.

Authors:

Queensland Emergency Medical Research Foundation (QEMRF), Queensland Tropical Health Alliance, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Centre for Biodiscovery and Molecular Development of Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Molecular Sciences, James Cook University, Queensland, Australia.

Objective: To determine the effect acetic acid (vinegar) has on discharged nematocysts in a simulated sting from Chironex fleckeri.

Method: This research was performed in 2 parts: 1 C. fleckeri tentacles placed on amniotic membrane were electrically stimulated, and venom washings collected before and after application of vinegar. Read More

Background: Although the hydrozoan Olindias sambaquiensis is the most common jellyfish associated with human envenomation in southeastern and southern Brazil, information about the composition of its venom is rare. Thus, the present study aimed to analyze pharmacological aspects of O. sambaquiensis venom as well as clinical manifestations observed in affected patients. Read More

Authors:

Cnidaria stings cause a wide range of cutaneous and systemic symptoms, normally occurring shortly after the venomous insult (1). We report a case of worsening cutaneous reaction over an eight-year period following a Cnidaria attack sustained whilst maritime swimming. The lesion was characterised by severe, ulcerating chronic inflammation that required wide local excision and skin grafting. Read More

Using the tentacle extract (TE) from the jellyfish Cyanea capillata, we have previously established a delayed jellyfish envenomation syndrome (DJES) model, which is meaningful for clinical interventions against jellyfish stings. However, the mechanism of DJES still remains unclear. Thus, this study aimed to explore its potential mechanism by detecting TE-induced microvasculature alterations in vivo and ex vivo. Read More

Authors:

Box jellyfish are highly venomous and numerous possible treatments for envenomation have already been reported in the published literature. The hand of a 55-year-old scuba diver was stung in the Gulf of Guinea resulting in two crops of coalescing vesicles with intense pain and lymphadenopathy. Traditional therapies such as hot water, cold packs and acetic acid were ineffective. Read More

Authors:

Sydney School of Medicine, The University of Sydney, Edward Ford Building, A27, Sydney, NSW, Australia, 2006.

Background: Jellyfish envenomations are common amongst temperate coastal regions and vary in severity depending on the species. Stings result in a variety of symptoms and signs, including pain, dermatological reactions and, in some species, Irukandji syndrome (including abdominal/back/chest pain, tachycardia, hypertension, sweating, piloerection, agitation and sometimes cardiac complications). Many treatments have been suggested for the symptoms and signs of jellyfish stings. Read More

Irukandji stings are a leading occupational health and safety issue for marine industries in tropical Australia and an emerging problem elsewhere in the Indo-Pacific and Caribbean. Their mild initial sting frequently results in debilitating illness, involving signs of sympathetic excess including excruciating pain, sweating, nausea and vomiting, hypertension and a feeling of impending doom; some cases also experience acute heart failure and pulmonary oedema. These jellyfish are typically small and nearly invisible, and their infestations are generally mysterious, making them scary to the general public, irresistible to the media, and disastrous for tourism. Read More

Although Chironex fleckeri and Carukia barnesi cause significant human envenomation, research into their effects in human models or human cells has been limited. In this in vitro study we have presented data that shows that although C. fleckeri is highly cytotoxic to human cardiac and skeletal muscle cells, C. Read More

We report a case of box-jellyfish related envenomation in a 40 year old tourist that occurred in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, in the Gulf of Thailand. Symptoms that appeared within a few minutes associated intense pain, hand edema and large edematous and erythematous flagellations in the stung skin areas. Antibiotics and corticosteroids were delivered. Read More

Authors:

Clinical marine toxicology is a rapidly changing area. Many of the new discoveries reported every year in Europe involve ecological disturbances--including global warming--that have induced modifications in the chorology, behavior, and toxicity of many species of venomous or poisonous aquatic life including algae, ascidians, fish and shellfish. These changes have raised a number of public issues associated, e. Read More

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